Many members of Generation Z are dropping out of college for trade schools. Meet the ‘Tool Belt Generation’: NPR

Sy Kirby dreaded the thought of going to college after graduating from high school. He says a four-year degree just wasn’t an option for him or his bank account.

“I was dealing with a lot of pressure for a guy who knew full well he wasn’t going to go to college,” Kirby said. “I knew I wasn’t going to sit in a classroom, especially since I knew I wasn’t going to pay for it.”

Instead, at age 19, Kirby took a job with a local water utility in southern Arkansas. He said the position helped him develop the skills that helped him start his own construction business.

Sy Kirby, who runs his own construction company, says a four-year degree just wasn’t an option for him or his bank account.

Will Anderson

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Will Anderson

Sy Kirby, who runs his own construction company, says a four-year degree just wasn’t an option for him or his bank account.

Will Anderson

Now 32, Kirby finds himself mentoring many of his employees, who also chose to learn a skilled trade rather than shell out tens of thousands of dollars to pursue an education they wouldn’t use after graduating.

Kirby says the blue-collar job is lucrative and allows him to “take the lead” in his life. But, he says, there are downsides to the job too, mainly because of the stigma attached to the industry.

“I think there’s a big problem with moms and dads coming home from a quote-unquote ‘dirty’ job. They come home with dirty, sweaty clothes. You’ve had a tough time day’s work and sometimes that’s looked down upon,” he says.

Kirby is one of a growing number of young people who have chosen to leave college for vocational schools offering paid on-the-job training.

Skilled trades are making a comeback

Lisa Countryman-Quiroz is the CEO of JVS, or Jewish Vocational Services, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides job training for unemployed people to find employment, including in skilled trades. She says that over the years there has been one change: the return of skilled trades, particularly among members of Generation Z.

“People have really prioritized college as a path to the middle class and a comfortable office job.” But, says Countryman-Quiroz, “over the last 10 to 15 years, we’re seeing a trend among young people leaving college. Just having to pay crushing college costs becomes an obstacle in itself.”

More than half of Gen Zers say it’s possible to get a well-paying job with just a high school diploma, as long as you learn other skills. That’s according to a survey by New America, a Washington think tank that focuses on a range of public policy issues, including technology, education and the economy.

The high cost of university studies leads to a change of career path

Additionally, the Education Data Initiative reports that the average cost of college in the United States has more than doubled in the 21st century.

With that price tag rising, many Gen Zers say they had no choice but to drop out of college. Many say living with their parents until they can pay off their college debts is not an option.

Nitzan Pelman is the founder of Climb Hire, a company that helps high school kids pursue skilled trades. She says many young people feel that graduating from college with six-figure debt is not an option.

“It’s no secret that the cost of college has increased so dramatically over the past decade that it has become prohibitive in today’s world,” she says.

Pelman says pursuing skilled trades can also help “level the playing field,” especially for young people from less privileged backgrounds and people of color.

“We don’t see a lot of black men in construction, but more Latino men in construction and you don’t see a lot of women in construction. Social capital is a very big gatekeeper and gateway for access high-quality jobs and help people break into certain industries,” she says.

In 2021, President Biden signed a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law. Since then, he has traveled the country to promote the law, which he says will open up thousands of new jobs in the trades.

“You can expect to get your hands dirty and that’s okay.”

The high cost of college is not the only factor pushing many young people into skilled trades. With the growing use of artificial intelligence, many Gen Zers see manual labor as less vulnerable to emerging technologies than white-collar alternatives. They also argue that vocational schools provide a direct path to well-paying jobs.

Pelman says rising wages and new technologies in fields such as welding, plumbing and machine tools are giving trade professions a facelift, making them more attractive to young people.

“There are many pretty attractive professional jobs – HVAC repair and installation, electricians, solar panel installer – there is so much demand for wind turbine installers who in many cases earn over $100,000 a year – there is therefore a strong demand for manual work”, she underlines.

Diego Aguilar works at a shopping center in the East Bay Municipal District of Oakland, California.

Marla Aufmuth/JVS

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Diego Aguilar works at a shopping center in the East Bay Municipal District of Oakland, California.

Marla Aufmuth/JVS

This is the case for Diego Aguilar, 25, who says a traditional office job was out of the question for him. Aguilar now works full-time at a shopping center in the East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, California, after completing the JVS training program.

“When I completed a job training program, I learned how much money I could make doing a very specific type of work. You need mechanics, you need machinists, you need carpenters, you need operators, you need painters. You can expect to get your hands dirty and that’s OK,” Aguilar says.

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that the number of students enrolled in career-oriented community colleges increased by 16% between 2022 and 2023.

As for Kirby, he says his mission is to continue to raise awareness about what he calls the “tool belt generation.”

“Where they can get out of the school of hard knocks, pick an industry, work for 10 years, take a beating, take a beating and hopefully bring jobs and careers back to the community,” he says .

When asked if he regrets his decision to pursue a skilled trade, Kirby laughs. “Not for a second,” he said.